Types of Aid

Financial aid, often based on financial need, that does not need to be repaid.

(Unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund.)

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is usually awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or a professional degree. Amounts can change yearly. For the 2025–26 award year, the maximum award is $7,395 The amount you get, though, will depend on

• your financial need,
• your cost of attendance,
• your status as a full-time or part-time student, and
• your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

You MAY NOT receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.

For less than full-time enrollment, awards will be prorated based on enrollment intensity as follows:

Western Oregon University offers a bachelor’s degree in education; therefore, post-baccalaureate students are ineligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. 

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is awarded to students with the greatest financial need and who meet WOU’s priority deadline. Students must be Pell Grant eligible to qualify for this grant. To get an FSEOG, you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) so we can determine your financial need. The FSEOG does not need to be repaid.

Federal TEACH Grant

The Federal TEACH Grant is available to WOU education and pre-education majors. The grant amount is up to $4000* annually and is not based on financial need.

• 2025-2026 TEACH Grant funding amount is pending federal determination.
• For any 2024-25 TEACH Grant first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2023, and before Oct. 1, 2024, the maximum award of $4,000 is reduced by 5.7% ($228), resulting in a maximum award of $3,772.

For less than full-time enrollment, awards will be prorated as follows:

• 3/4 Time Enrollment = 75% of Award

• 1/2 Time Enrollment = 50% of Award

• 1/4 Time Enrollment = 25% of Award

Students who receive a federal TEACH Grant must complete a service obligation by serving as a highly-qualified teacher in a designated high-need field at a low-income school for four years within eight years of completing a TEACH Grant eligible program. Failure to complete teaching service will result in the TEACH Grant being converted to an unsubsidized Stafford loan with retroactive interest.

• Complete a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• Information about the TEACH Grant is available from the US Department of Education.

• Students must complete an online Agreement to Serve (ATS) and TEACH Grant Counseling with the US Department of Education each year they receive a TEACH Grant award.

• The Directory of Low Income Schools is available here. 

• The list of “high need” fields by state is available here. 

• Students who are graduating or leaving their TEACH Grant program must complete the TEACH Grant exit counseling.

*Please note – awards first disbursed on or after March 1, 2013 are subject to a reduction due to cuts in federal financial aid as a result of the “sequester.” Awards first made on or after this date will not be eligible for the full $4,000 award without congressional action.

Special Rule in the Higher Education Act (HEA), formerly called “Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants (IASG)” and “Children of Fallen Heroes (CFH) Scholarships.”

For students whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while either serving on active duty as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on or after Sept. 11, 2001, or actively serving as and performing the duties of a public safety officer.

Must be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant due only to having less financial need than is required to receive Pell funds. Must have been less than 33 years old as of the January 1 prior to the award year for which the applicant is applying (e.g., For the 2024–25 award year, a student must be younger than 33 years old as of Jan. 1, 2024, to be eligible.).

Students who received a grant under Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant or Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship criteria during the 2023-24 academic year but don’t meet eligibility under the Special Rule may still receive a maximum Pell Grant under legacy eligibility. For more information click here.

Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG)

The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) is Oregon’s largest state-funded need-based grant program for students planning to go to college. Opportunity Grants are funded primarily by Oregon taxpayers. Nearly 40,000 students receive Opportunity Grants each year. You must submit the FAFSA/ORSAA to be considered for the OOG. Amounts and cutoff dates are determined by the Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC). OSAC’s cutoff for the FAFSA/ORSAA application is April 15, 2025 for the 2025-2026 award year.

Oregon Opportunity Grant Award Amounts – 2025-2026

Oregon Tribal Student Grant

The Oregon Tribal Student Grant provides funding for eligible Oregon tribal students to offset the cost of attendance at eligible Oregon colleges and universities. Current, new, and continuing students are encouraged to apply for this grant for the upcoming academic year. The grant is intended to cover the average cost of attendance after all federal and state grants and scholarships have been applied. For more information please visit the Oregon Student Aid website.

Oregon Student Child Care Grant

The Oregon Student Child Care Grant Program helps parents enrolled in postsecondary education to obtain safe, dependable care that supports their children’s development while allowing completion of the parent’s academic programs. The 2026-27 Oregon Student Child Care Grant Application will open mid-January 2026 through the end of May 2026. To apply, please visit Oregon Student Aid

Chafee Education and Training Voucher Program

Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school. These are funds that must be repayed and do incure interest. 

Eligibility

To receive either type of loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time at a school that participates in the Direct Loan Program. Generally, you must also be enrolled in a program that leads to a degree or certificate awarded by the school. Direct Subsidized Loans are available only to undergraduate students who have financial need. Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to both undergraduates and graduate or professional degree students. You are not required to show financial need to receive a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

Your school determines the loan type(s), if any, and the actual loan amount you are eligible to receive each academic year. However, there are limits on the amount in subsidized and unsubsidized loans that you may be eligible to receive each academic year (annual loan limits) and the total amounts that you may borrow for undergraduate and graduate study (aggregate loan limits). The actual loan amount you are eligible to receive each academic year may be less than the annual loan limit. These limits vary depending on

• what year you are in school and
• whether you are a dependent or independent student.

If you are a dependent student whose parents are not eligible for a Direct PLUS Loan, you may be able to receive additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds.

Scholarships are gifts. They don’t need to be repaid. There are thousands of them, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations.

Visit our scholarships page for more information on WOU scholarships, external scholarships, and helpful resources.

Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program

The Federal Work Study Program is available to eligible undergraduate and graduate students. This program provides funds for employing students who qualify for part-time jobs either on-campus, or off-campus in community service positions. The amount that you earn is limited to the amount that appears on your award letter. However, once you have earned the amount noted on your award letter, you may petition the Financial Aid Office to increase your work study funds.

You will receive an hourly wage based on the type of work you do, your skills, and your experience. You can work a maximum of 20 hours per week except during vacation periods when up to 40 hours per week is allowed. You will be paid monthly based on the number of hours you worked in the pay period. It is your responsibility to locate a job.*

You may view current job postings by clicking here. For assistance with the availability of job openings contact the Center for Professional Pathways (2nd floor of the Student Success Center building). Paychecks are disbursed at the end of the month from the Payroll Office and are based on the number of hours worked during the pay period.

*You are not guaranteed a job or that you will earn the total work-study amount listed on your award letter.

Community Service Work Study Program

Federal Work Study can be used in such community service areas as health care, child care, literacy training, education, welfare, public safety, crime prevention and control, rural development, and community improvement. Using work-study in this way allows students to work in direct service roles with their local community and still earn money.

If you are eligible for Federal Work-Study, we encourage you to look at the opportunities available to you, or develop your own job. If you know of a community or social agency that may want to participate in the off-campus federal work study program, contact the Center for Professional Pathways at 503-838-8432.

There are times when grants and federal loans are not enough to cover the cost of attending school. If that happens, students and parents have options for private loans. Students who become ineligible for federal aid may also pursue private alternative loans. The rates private lenders offer are not as competitive as federal loans, and we strongly encourage students to pursue federal loans before private loans.

You can find information about Private Education Loan Lenders on the ELM Select website. The lenders listed here are simply lenders who have loaned to WOU students in the last few years. Western Oregon University does not endorse any one lender. The information at this link is simply informational. The student has the right to whatever lender they want, should they pursue a private alternative loan.

What is the Process of a Private Education Loan?

Private Education Loans are loans a credit-worthy student may borrow and repay with interest according to the terms of the loan agreement per the lender.

When Should Students Begin Private Loan Process: Students may begin private education loan process at any time, however, to ensure money approved, received and prepared for disbursement timely, you may need 4-8 weeks before the award year begins to get your funds in place to avoid WOU student account receivable late fees, interest charges, and AR holds, which prevent student from registering for classes.

Student Research: Compare loan options between lenders, such as interest rates (fixed or variable rates), fees (origination and disbursement), repayment terms, and other factors such as if cosigner is required, if so, also co-signer release options, and eligibility requirements such as credit score, and debt-to-income ratio. Carefully consider these factors to ensure they align with students’ education goals and financial needs.

Student Applies for a Private Education Loan: Student may use WOU’s Lender List here` to search for lender choice and provide personal and financial information on Application.

How Much May a Student Request for a Private Education Loan:

For Current Award Year: The difference between the students’ Cost of Attendance (COA) minus offered financial aid. COA-OFA= Max Loan Request

For Previous Award Years: Up to the amount owing to the WOU student account receivable balance for the previous award year.

What Dates Should Student Use on the Application:

For Current Award Year: If student is enrolled for fall, winter, and spring terms students may use Sept-June of that award year. If student is enrolled in summer, fall, winter, and spring terms of the award year students may use June-June.  The loan amount approved by lender will be split equally over the terms. Students are encouraged to seek a loan to cover award year, however, there are times when students may seek a one-term loan, such as when they are graduating after attending only fall term, then the student would use September- December for example.

For Previous Award Year: Student reports dates to reflect previous enrollment period, such as September-June of previous award year.

Approval: After submitting the Application and completing lender’s required documentation, lenders will review application and determine your eligibility and loan amount. This information will be electronically sent to WOU. If loan is not approved, student may be able to obtain a co-signer to gain approval.

Shopping Around for a Private Education Loan: When applying for private education loans, a “hard pull” on students’ credit will typically be conducted by lender. This involves accessing students’ credit file to assess creditworthiness and potentially approve students for the loan. To mitigate the impact of multiple hard pulls on student’s credit account and its effect on your credit score, students are encouraged to shop around within a two-week period.

Certification of Loan by WOU: Upon receipt of lender loan approval, WOU will certify the loan and respond electronically back to lender. The amount of the loan certified and approved by the WOU Financial Aid Office is added to the student’s WOU Award Offer.

Cooling Off Period: The lender has a “cooling off period” of up to 10 days. Then the lender will send the money electronically to the school for processing. The “cooling off period” is the period of time to permit the student to have the right of refusal, in other words, students have the right to change their mind to allow for loan cancellation.

Disbursement of the Private Education Loan: After the “cooling off period” the WOU financial aid office will process the loan and work with WOU’s Accounting & Business Office to disburse the loan funds electronically onto the student’s WOU account receivable.

Refund: If the Private Education Loan creates a credit balance on the student’s WOU accounts receivable, the WOU Business Office/Cashier Office will process a refund to the student as per student requested method. The default method is the refund is issued by paper check, unless student takes action by setting up direct deposit for an e-check to be sent to their bank account.

Revisions:

Student Seeking an Increase to the Loan: Student must apply for a new loan if they need additional loan funds for the award year.

Loan Reductions: If the total offered financial assistance (OFA) for award year results in more financial aid than Cost of Attendance (COA) the WOU Financial Aid Office may be required to reduce the loan during the award year.

Veteran’s Dependent Tuition Waiver

The Veteran’s Dependent tuition waiver may be available to students who have been Chapter 35 approved as per the Veterans Certifying Official and the Registrar’s Office. To apply please fill out this form. If approved, the Veterans Certifying Official will notify the Financial Aid Office. The amount of eligibility is calculated on a per term basis. This is a Tuition ONLY waiver, the amount is based on tuition charges for the term minus all gift aid for the term. The waiver will be re-calculated at the census date each term. If the gift aid exceeds tuition charges for the term, the amount of the waiver for the term is $0. Students become ineligible for the Waiver once they have 180 attempted credit hours.

For information about Veteran’s Benefits please visit the Veterans Resource Center.

Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program (YEHP)

The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) partners with the Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) to determine potentially eligible students and to match DHS data with a student’s FAFSA/ORSAA information. Based on information listed on the FAFSA/ORSAA, OSAC provides a list of eligible students to be considered for a Tuition and Fee Waiver in the Financial Aid Offices (FAO) Portal. For more information click here.

TheDream.US

TheDream.US scholarships are for highly motivated undocumented students with or without DACA or TPS who want to get a college education but are unable to afford the cost. They have no access to federal aid, limited access to state aid, and they sometimes face paying out-of-state tuition. 

• NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP is for students eligible for in-state tuition at one of their close to 80 Partner Colleges.
• OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP is for students who live in targeted, locked-out states where they cannot get in-state tuition.

The Ford Family Foundation

The Ford Family Foundation offers grants and scholarships that support the people and places of rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, with grants, scholarships and a commitment to building community.

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer work programs in many sectors.